Situation overview 20 September
1863 11:45am: The southern end of the main Union line along LaFayette
Road had been routed by Longstreet's Rebels. Each attempt to
form a new line against the gray juggernaut had failed and now
a massive, unorganized retreat toward McFarland Gap had begun.
In some cases only a few steps ahead of the advancing, increasingly
unorganized Rebels, the Yankee retreat threatened to turn a defeat
into a rout.

General George Thomas was trying to
respond to attacks on his line on a modest ridge west of LaFayette Road
at Kelly Farm that continued without relief. Headquartered at Snodgrass Cabin west of the LaFayette Road,
he began to pick Union stragglers from the Confederate breakthrough at Brotherton Cabin.
Thomas, giving orders directly to enlisted men, began
to form the retreating Yankees into a weak line along Snodgrass
Hill, about half-a-mile from his field headquarters.

Colonel William
Lytle [US] moved forward from a position to the south and west
of the breakthrough, driving Deas [CS] skirmishers from a high
point on the ridge a mile west of LaFayette Road. A rugged
attempt to move Lytle from the hill failed and stopped Dea's
advance. Gen. Arthur Manigault [CS Hindman], moving
south of Deas did not run into the same problem and continued
to advance further into what remained of the Yankees.

Patton Anderson [CS Hindman] was ordered
forward to patch a hole in the line. His men's presence rallied
Deas' Confederates to renew the attack on Lytle. This time during
the advance Lytle was shot, the bullet shattering his spine.
Without their commander the line withered in the face of the
advancing Rebels. As the Confederates advanced they found Lytle's
body, and Anderson came over. Lytle and he had been close friends
before the war. Grieving, Anderson removed personal items from
the general's body including his wedding ring to give to his
wife.

At noon the hopelessness of the situation got to Rosecrans.
He, McCook, Critenden, Sheridan and many other officers fled
the field to the northwest. The devastation of the Union Army
was continuing unabated. While heading towards Chattanooga Rosecrans
and others did attempt to form a line, grabbing men hurrying
from the field of battle. McCook, too, turned and tried to reach
General George Thomas at Snodgrass Hill. He was relieved when
a wounded officer told him it would be impossible to reach the
Virginian.

One of the reasons the Rebels moved ahead
with alacrity was the presence of top echelon officers in the
advance, most noticeably John Bell Hood. It was his finest moment.
Originally the advancing Rebels where to "wheel" to
the left, or south, pivoting on an imaginary hub, but Hood changed
the orders mid-stream, attacking to the west and north. His presence
had made the breakthrough a resounding success.

As the Confederate line advanced through Dyer Field it came
under attack by Bluecoats; it was the division of Thomas Wood
that had pulled back from the federal line behind the Brotherton
Cabin to create the hole so adroitly exploited by James Longstreet.
Suddenly the Yankees were holding a line against the Rebels.
Then, on the Confederate left, more Federals. The line that only
moments before had been moving briskly through the forest stopped
and many of the men began a wild retreat.

Hood tried desperately to rally the troops but to no avail.
Then, just as the entire line seemed to give way Rebel reinforcements
made it to Dyer Field. Col. David Kershaw's men came out of the
woods in support of Hood's remaining men. As Kershaw reported
to his senior officer a bullet shattered Hood's leg.

Meanwhile, Manigault moved forward, gaining the
modest ridge on which the Widow Glenn's house sat. Suddenly,
there was a problem. Rifle fire in front of his men slowed and
eventually halted the advance. Then, while trying to come up
with a solution, Manigault's flank came under attack by Col.
John Wilder's Spencer repeating rifles.

Even to soldiers who had seen battle numerous times these Spencer
rifles created horror. After overrunning a significant portion
of Manigault's men the Rebels withdrew back to LaFayette Road.
Then Wilder began to advance on Longstreet's Corps in an attempt
to aid Thomas, clearly visible on Snodgrass Hill. After 100 yards
the advance was halted by Assistant Secretary of War Charles
Dana who told Wilder he could not attack and must provide him
(Dana) an escort to Chattanooga. Wilder obeyed although Dana
had no authority to issue such an order.

About this time on the opposite side of the battlefield, Daniel
Govan's Arkansasans came unexpectedly out of a heavily wooded
area a few feet south of the present-day Chickamauga Visitors
Center, crossed the LaFayette Road and returned to the woods
a few feet west of the road. The men turned and began to advance
on the left flank of the Federal line when they were struck by
a group of combined Union forces. The men that weren't killed
outright scattered back into the woods and regrouped in an attempt
to locate the Confederate line.